Monday, October 3, 2011

CONTEST: Win a Dia de los Muertos Portrait

Posted by
Abby Davis

CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Rachael Rossman, one of our new sponsors, is a portrait artist who has a Kickstarter campaign to produce new Day of the Dead artwork. As part of this project, she would like to giveaway one 5"x7" original portrait of a Skull-A-Day fan!

Rachael paints Day of the Dead skull inspired portraits of real people. She says, "I work primarily in watercolor on Yupo, a medium which allows me to achieve tremendously organic shapes and textures. In the process, I explore the relationship between the subject and the viewer with a focus on the eyes, emotion and energy. My greatest joy is in watching seemingly incongruous shapes come together to capture the essence of a person, animal or moment in time. I like to think my portraits paint themselves. I am embarking on this Day of the Dead portrait series because I find the imagery paradoxically dark and beautiful."

Since Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is coming up soon, to be entered in the drawing just leave a comment below saying how you would celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a skull.

[NOTE: If you're reading this on Facebook be sure to leave your comment on the original Skull-A-Day.com post if you want to be actually entered in the contest]

IMPORTANT:Don't forget to include a way to contact you (either ane-mail in the post OR make sure your Blogger profile has a working e-mail link for you on it).

You have until just Midnight Eastern Time Sunday, October 9th to enter so don't delay!

NOTE: Rachael will pay for shipping to the winner.

Of course, you don't have to wait till the end of the contest to get your own Rachael Rossman Day of the Dead portrait. Help Rachael fund her project and get a portrait in return (specifications based on funding amount). Her Kickstarter project runs until October 27th.

Every year I celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a memorial altar for my Mother. I would like to incorporate sugar skulls into the altar this year. I think you (or Abby) posted a tutorial on this once... I'll have to go find it. (:

This and Halloween are my fave holidays. This year I will be celebrating both by driving my Calacamobile around town (my art car dedicated to skellys and Dia de Los Muertos. My art reflects DOD imagery all the time...yes it is my fave!!

Dia de los Muertos is such a great holiday! I have lot of day of the dead items scattered throughout my home year round, with a permanent altar in my bedroom. I also love making dia de los muertos crafts...I also learned of Kickstarter through this post :) Thanks!!! (love your artwork and the Kickstarter program AND Skull-A-Day!)

it would seem kinda weird just putting up someone's skull, though... so maybe it would have to be my recently passed cat's skull. then i'd make her altar. i'd decorate it with opened cans of tuna and burn catnip incense.

if i get chosen i can be reached at overexposurephotography (at) gmail (dot) com

it would seem kinda weird just putting up someone's skull, though... so maybe it would have to be my recently passed cat's skull. then i'd make her altar. i'd decorate it with opened cans of tuna and burn catnip incense.

if i get chosen i can be reached at overexposurephotography (at) gmail (dot) com

These portraits are amazing. I could not resist funding this project and wish I could contribute more money! My friends, who are artists, musicians, and professors at a small liberal arts college, host a Dia de los Muertos celebration each year. They make Mexican food, explain the traditions, teach songs and encourage artistic expression. We end the evening at an old town graveyard where we take plates of food and drinks, sing traditional songs and remember and honor our loved ones who have passed. This year I am making calaveras de azucar and I plan to sew a skirt from calavera print fabric to wear. We also have a tradition among a small group of us—we do Patron shots using a skull (plastic one) to hold the tequila (in the orbital space)...socket shots, as we call them. So that is how we will celebrate with our skull.

Well, I am already celebrating with my own version of skull-a-day by wearing one of my skull articles of clothing/jewelry/belts/hair fancies from october 1st to Dia de los Muertos. I am planning on dressing up like Caterina for Halloween and the next day to celebrate, with my skull :)

I love your work and it's inspiring!! I think I should spend Dia de Los Muertos thinking of those who are gone and perhaps spending some time exploring my own art - it's never too late to start. -joycejoycematney@comcast.net

I celebrate by decorating, making traditional mexican foods and just thinking of all my friends and family that have passed on and hoping their spirits are surrounding me to share in the celebrations =)

For me Dia de los Muertos is a colorful way to celebrate those who have passed without the sadness and the mourning. How amazing it is to use a decorated skull to pay homage? In this way skulls and skeletons don't have to represent death, they represent life!

I celebrate Dia De Los Mueratos by carrying on of my skulls from my collection with me where ever I go. I have a few small ones and it is a great way to see it and remember what day it is and how skulls/skeletons are important to me.

This post got me thinking that I tend to have Dia De Los Muertos at unexpected times of the year rather than on just Nov 1st. When I have chocolate I remember my chocoholic uncle who died last year. The scratch soups I make always invoke my grandfather's words on how to cook them. Whiskey cake is my great great aunt coming to visit with her booming cheerful voice. So maybe this year I will have a feast with all the foods that remind me of my relatives who have passed.

I always celebrate @ the local festival. we decorate sugar skulls. this year we are going to make a skelton puppet for the parade. I have seen these portraits b4 on The Blogess' blog, these are gorgeous!

Having a beautiful piece of art like one of these portraits would be great to display and get conversations going so I could explain why the skull is not just a symbol of death but also a symbol of life.

Each year I start wearing my Dia De Los Muertos jewelry early in October. Then keep it up until the actual day. I love the comments I've gotten in support. I also paint custom T-shirts for folks who want to honor a past loved one. It's such a special day to celebrate.

HI! Wow...really really cool work!!! I would LOVE to have one of your pieces on my wall!!! I have always had a skull/bone fascination. :) So intriguing beautiful and mysterious. Never to be feared but revered <3 I have had a wicked little collection of skulls and still have a few though some...were stolen, some broken in many travels :( The larger part of my skull collection left me when I was a teen and went on holiday only to discover my mother got rid of by the time I returned home :(I will celebrate this DOD with my collection with thoughts of thankfulness and wonder. All the best D dorislongstocking@yahoo.com

This year I think I'm going to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos by making some skull art of my own. I've had any idea in mind for a skull painting for a while now, and this seems like the perfect opportunity!

I would acknowledge Dia de los Muertos this year the same way I did last year by getting together with a few friends and creating a wonderful realistic candy skull that we would then eat. Carol Anne LaPointe (carolalap@gmail.com)

I would love to win this portrait. Dia de los Muertos has become so special to me since my mother died. It is a way that I can celebrate that she lived rather than mourn that she is gone....Thanks!PamPseabolt@aol.com

Dia de Los Muertos is a day of joyous remembrance, and not a little dark humor. And because it's after Halloween, it's also a day for chocolate. Bring on the Scharffen Berger 62% chocolate skulls, made in my kitchen! Good chocolate is a fast and wonderful way to make new friends, and skulls are just awesome. KT Lowe, professorkechi@gmail.com

This year I would celebrate the lives of those who have passed by living. I would take that skull on an outting with my husband and new baby to a fall fair. We'd look at the animals, play games, eat great food, drink a few drinks, support the local artists by purchasing their wonderful art and enjoy the fall colors of the trees. Then the skull and my family would sit under the stars talking about how lucky we are to be alive, and I would kiss each of them, including the skull, goodnight, and sleep and dream of the smiling skull and all my departed loved ones. Happy Dia De Los Muertos all!! I can be reached at couchgirl13@gmail.com and I would love a portrait of my dearly departed kitty, who passed this year after 15 wonderful years together.

I would take my skull on a road trip to revisit places of importance and reflect on the good times and the bad that happened at those places with my loved ones and ancestors who have passed. Submitted with respect and honor for the past. Tim

I will be celebrating the loss of my loved ones this year with my skull. I hope to honor them in a way that will help me grieve and cherish positive memories to help me going forward. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. michaela.gets.crafty at gmail.com

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